My Childhood Playmate
by ShardyPsykoElf
Summary: The worst thing that can happen to you is falling in love with your best friend". EdxWinry.
1. In Which There is an Announcemt

**Title:** My Childhood Playmate

**Pairing:** Ed/Winry

**Summery:** "The worst thing that can happen to you is falling in love with your best friend."

**Rating:** R

**Genre:** Humor/Romance

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**Notes from Shardy: **Ah, my first FMA fanfic here. Gee, I never imagined I would come back to teh!Pit. I guess I just needed an ego boost or something.

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**Chapter One**

_"Oh, Edward, thank goodness you answered! We have a problem here!"_

His face drained of its color upon hearing the voice of the backwards old bat on the other side of the phone.

_"Winry's pregnant! She tried to pull it off as being sick, but how can she be sick if she's gaining weight?"_

His topaz-hued eyes nearly popped of out their sockets, pupils contracting to only tiny pinpricks of shock.

_"We're still not sure of the sex of the child, but I can tell you that she's already four months along."_

Oh shit! Last time he went to Resembool was four months ago! Maybe Auntie Pinako wouldn't remember the time or at least, not think of the connection.

_"Come to think of it, the last time you paid us a visit was exactly four months ago…"_

Of course it would be otherwise. The old woman had only the memory of an elephant and the omniscience of God.

_"Funny little coincidence, isn't it, Edward?"_

Judging by the empathetic tone, she'd probably already put two and two together and was waiting for Ed to be intimidated enough to come out and admit that he had a little late-night playtime with his best friend and what started as an innocent wrestling match led to taboo actions that can only be found in trashy novels sold in the very back of the old bookstore. It was because Ed was intimidated that he kept his mouth shut.

_"Hello?…Hello? Edward? Are you there, Edward?"_

He was glad he was too frightened to breathe and give himself away. However, he could not hold out for long; first, breathing was a vital action in order to sustain life and second, she was starting to become suspicious with each syllable that passed those wrinkled lips and every second of empty silence from his side.

So he had no choice but to pull the oldest, cheapest, and most obvious trick in the book.

"Aunt Pinako?" he exclaimed, taking his sleeve and rubbing it violently against the receiver, smiling at the approving scratching sound that the action emitted. "I can't hear you! Something's wrong with this phone!"

_"What? Edward--!"_ she yelled, and he knew she knew exactly what he was doing. Did he care? How else was he to get out of this situation?

"Did you say something, Aunt Pinako?" he continued, as though he were honestly confused and could not understand her, increasing the vigor rubbing. "I think you said something, but I can't understand! You're breaking up!"

_"Edward-!"_

"Damn this stupid line! Oh, well, I guess I'll talk to ya later!"

_"Edward Elric, I know you'r—"_

CLICK!

Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Ed collapsed back down on his bed, running his human hand through his golden bangs as he stared up at the blank ceiling. Dammit. Winry pregnant. With his kid. HIS kid. And neither of them were even seventeen yet. He knew he shouldn't have gone into her room that night.

But he did. Not with those kind of intentions though. He couldn't sleep. He hadn't seen her in so long. He wanted to talk, he had said as he opened the door only to discover her wide awake and unable to sleep as well.

They talked. Together they recollected moments in their childhood, of special times when all was right with the world and the only things they had to worry about were if their mothers were going to find out they played in the mud again. Together they laughed at the old jokes they used to play, how scared Winry had been when Ed and Al transmuted a doll for her, planted a dead snake on the windowsill of Old Lady Smithee who was even crankier than Auntie Pinako…

The talks led to light teasing and the teasing led to a playful wrestling match, an innocent game they used to play as children to settle a score, that whomever managed to pin the other down was right.

Unfortunately, they were no longer children and needs and hormones now added to the equation. Six years ago, all that was at stake in this game was being correct in their perspective; now with their bodies rubbing against each other, Ed had felt lightheaded and his face burning with sensations he had never felt before. Distracted by the awareness of her warmth and the musical sound of her laugh, she easily had him pinned to the bed, unspoken rule declaring her the winner of this match.

It no longer mattered. And when he had reached up to entangle the fingers of his left hand in her soft hair, she must have realized that the wrestling match was no longer a concern. He was not shy in pulling her head down toward his, to press his lips hungrily and demanding against hers. He was not the hesitant type, even if it meant that she was going to magically pull her damn wrench out of nowhere and beat him to a mass of gore because of it.

This was not the first time he had stolen a kiss from Winry.

They had been only nine, and it was then his mother had informed him and Al about the origin of babies. Ed didn't quite understand as those particular hormones had not developed yet, however, he did understand the intensity of his crush on Winry, the fluttering feeling in the pit of his stomach every time he saw her. He might not have understood why it was there, but it was there just the same. He had convinced Winry to come out alone with him for a moment one sunny afternoon and pulled the classic behind-the-tree trick. Pretending to show her the bird's nest he found on one of the lower branches, he waited for her to be completely absorbed in this discovery before placing his hands on her shoulders and kissing her on her lips.

Back then, Winry had been shocked, mortified even, shoving Ed away with a small scream before bursting into tears and running full speed back to her house, leaving poor little Ed standing there in confusion, wondering what he had done wrong. The parents thought the action was adorable, Al laughed his butt off, and Winry didn't speak to him for two days.

This time was different. This time she was not going to get away from him. For a moment she was still as he kissed her passionately, pressing her body full flush against his own. His tongue flicked across her lips, begging for access and not taking "no" for an answer.

This time, her response was positive, kissing him back with a need of one who had waited too long for him, too long for this moment. And it was over. Soon, he was the one pinning her down, kissing her everywhere, caressing her in places where his lips were not.

They must have done it three times. Maybe four. Like he had been keeping count. All that he was aware of was their warm bodies entwined in a lover's knot, her own kisses and caresses and the way she breathed, saying his name, begging him to continue, holding onto him like she would never let him go again.

It had been like that for a week. Every night. Whether he would sneak into her room, or she into his, they made love over and over and over. They experimented. They did whatever tidbits they had picked up and their own creativity.

He knew their late night excursions did not go unnoticed. Al long since knew Ed would jump Winry if he ever go the chance (especially with her running around in that tube top), and nothing escaped Pinako. She would remark on hearing tiny noises at night with her brows raised and holding her pipe in a poise that all but said, "I know EXACTLY what's going on, you naughty children, and you are fools in thinking you can hide it from me".

When he first left home, Ed felt nothing but determination to undo a foolish action. Now, he left like he was literally being torn in half. He couldn't even properly say good-bye to Winry. He knew that if he had held her during those last moments, he would have been lost completely and would never leave again. She must have felt the same way. She didn't cry, she didn't even reach for him. She just smiled and threatened to hunt him down and beat him with her wrench if he didn't write once in a while. They both knew better, saw each other right through their masks, but they did nothing.

During these past four months, Ed did everything in the book to make an excuse to go back to Resembool. And it was during those four months that he learned two very vital lessons: that no matter how much he cried and threatened, Mustang would never be sympathetic towards him and automail is very hard to break.

And now, Winry was pregnant.

Ed turned over on his side, moaning with discouragement in his pillow. If he didn't get to Resembool as soon as possible, Aunt Pinako would skin him alive next time she saw him. But he needed a legitimate excuse to go home, and while a pregnant girlfriend was legit enough, there was no way in hell he was telling Mustang that! The Flame would never let him hear the end of it.

A sound knock jerked Ed from his thoughts, and the steel helmet of his younger brother poked through the slightly opened door. "Hey, Ed, you asleep?" Al inquired, a tone of apology in his voice in case he had interrupted him.

"No, just thinking," Ed replied quietly. "Where were you?"

"Oh, visiting Riza and Hayate," he answered cheerfully. There was something about small furry animals that made Al acquire a tone of contentment Ed rarely heard anymore from his brother.

_One day, Al, _Edward vowed, one that he made every day, every waking moment of his being. _One day, I swear, I'll restore you. _

"Oh, and you have a visitor," Al continued as if remembering that important information. "I ran into him on my way here."

The hulking suit of armor entered the room and stepped aside as Roy Mustang walked in with an apathetic, "Good afternoon, Edward." Ed merely tensed, much like a cat with an arched back and fur standing straight up in defense.

"Are you doing well?"

Ed hated it when Mustang acted all nice and talkative. It usually meant the Colonel was plotting something that no doubt would be at the young alchemist's expense. "Don't beat around the bush and just tell me what you want," Ed spat, glaring at the Flame.

Mustang shrugged indifferently. "How would you feel about going home?"

The silence was threatening. Ed narrowed his eyes darkly at Mustang. "What are you planning?" he demanded heatedly. There was a secret agenda to this seemingly innocent question. With Mustang, it was all about personal agenda. Hell, the man probably invented the phrase.

"Oh, Edward, must you be so suspicious of everything I say?"

"Yes!"

Mustang tsked, shaking his head in an almost regretful manner. "Such a cynical one," he remarked, dark eyes looking off to the side. "And here I thought you would be pleased to learn that I'm sending you home."

"Why you selfish bas—what did you say?" As soon as the announcement registered, Ed stared at the colonel as if seeing him for the first time.

Mustang smiled, one that sent chills skittering down Ed's spinal column. "Sure! Take a few weeks off! Go visit your family, relax, take a vacation!" He even reached over and patted Ed on the head. "You've been working so hard these past few years. You deserve a break."

"And what do I have to do to get this _break?" _Ed demanded, now more than ever convinced that Mustang was plotting his untimely demise.

Mustang stepped back and his chest inhaled in a deep sigh. "Edward, I really wish you would stop talking like I'm planning something."

How was it everyone could read his mind like a friggin' book? "And I really wish you would stop talking like you're doing this just to be nice," Ed shot back.

"What if I am simply being nice?" Mustang countered, dark eyes glinting with amusement.

"Dammit, Mustang!" He leaped to his feet as if ready to challenge the Flame to an alchemy battle right then and there in the dorm.

Al just simply watched with interest. His brother and the Flame going head-to-head was always a good show.

Mustang simply turned and began walking towards the door. "A carriage will arrive shortly to take you boys to the station," he explained, ignoring the eyes stabbing invisible daggers into his back. He was about to depart completely when he stopped like he suddenly remembered something and turned around, hand resting on the doorknob.

"Oh, by the way, Edward…congratulations."

Ed's expression softened from frustrated to puzzled. Then the heavy feeling of a boulder slowly sinking into his gut was confirmed when Mustang drew a yellow envelope from his jacket pocket. "The old woman wrote me, explaining everything." The passive face lit up with a wicked grin. "Had a little bit a fun, didn't we? So, Edward, is it a boy or a girl?"

Mustang quickly shut the door and the lamp that was thrown with the intention of smashing his face smashed to pieces against the wood instead.


	2. In Which Winry Has Doubts

**Disclaimer: The reason I'm not a fan of putting disclaimers is that if I really did own FMA, would I be wasting my time writing fanfiction?**

**Notes from Shardy: **Okay, I upload chapter two, but I had forgotten that I didn't post it. So all this time I'm like, why aren't I getting reviews for chapter two? Duh, Shardy. You hadn't posted it yet! Heh heh...(stupid wench)...

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**Chapter Two**

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While Edward was getting over the initial shock upon learning Winry's physical condition and tossing phones at Mustang, Winry was herself trying to come to terms with this news.

She probably knew of this since day one. Natural feminine intuition or something like that. The morning sickness, the hot flashes, the need to have garlic chips in her ice-cream were merely outward indications of the child she carried.

Anyone who romanticized the possibility of being pregnant with one's best friend's child had never been in her situation.

To be honest, she hated the child. She wanted to be rid of it. But at the same time, it was a part of her and the maternal longing to hold it in her arms kept her from seeing the village doctor for an abortion. And if Pinako had been surprised, it was only because Winry had been able to hide this for so long. For the previous four months, she explained her increasingly strange behavior as a result of missing Ed so much. Though it was true that she did miss him, when she had fainted on the way home from the market, discovered by a passing villager, she had been checked over by the doctor. She had fainted due to a heat stroke, but naturally he had discovered and reported the pregnancy as well.

Winry had not been thrilled. She burst into tears, then went into a mad frenzy by chucking whatever she could find in random directions, only to sink to the floor and cry some more. She wanted more than anything for Ed to be here, but at the same time she did not want him to find out. She was afraid that he would hate her because of this.

Pinako already knew who the father was. She knew about the feelings the young couple had for each other since they were children. Right away she wrote a letter to Colonel Mustang, explaining the situation and requesting that Ed come home immediately. When Mustang replied back saying that he would send Fullmetal to Resembool right away, it was then she called Ed to tell him the news herself, figuring that Ed would take the shock better if he heard it from his adoptive aunt not his rival.

Winry pitched a fit.

"Please don't tell Ed!" she cried, practically throwing herself at Pinako's feet. "I don't want him to know!"

"Winry, Ed is the father of your baby," Pinako pointed out as if Winry didn't know that. "He has every right to know."

"But he'll hate me for it!" she wailed, tears rushing down her face. "He'll hate me!"

"Stop it and get a hold of yourself. He's not going to hate you! Honestly, child, quit being ridiculous. Sure he's not going to be the best father in the world, maybe not even a good one at first, but he'll never be happier."

Winry sniffed, her sapphire eyes dark with a heavy regret she could not reveal. If only it could be that simple. That Ed would return thrilled to know that they had a child together and that they could be happy with this. That once his work was done, they would marry and raise many more little ones.

A dream was all that was. And a foolish, naïve little dream at that.

Ed would not be happy. He would not be happy at all. Just like his own father, he would be gone most of the child's upbringing. And there was an even bigger chance that he might not ever come back, disappear, just like his own dad. Ed would not want that. He would want a planned pregnancy, so that he could be a part of the child's life. Be the father he never had.

And she had to go and ruin it.

Oh, yeah. He was going to hate her.

Winry remained on her knees, hugging herself tightly, staring down at the wooden floor. Pinako observed her for a moment, before leaning over a bit. "Winry…? Is there something you're not telling me?"

Her head shot up, and she bit her lower lip. She couldn't tell, she couldn't! Her eyes refilled with fresh tears and she could feel the fetus give a tiny kick. The child kicked a lot at such a young age. No doubt taking after his father. If Ed was...

Winry choked, bile seeping to her throat. It was as if this tiny action revealed everything to Pinako for the old woman took a step back, her tiny eyes wide with genuine shock and the pipe almost falling out of her mouth.

"You don't know…do you?" she whispered and Winry nodded, a wretched sob escaping from her throat.

"I don't know," she confirmed in a hoarse whisper, her blonde hair falling over her face. She buried her face in her hands with shame and cried harder when the child gave another kick. Apparently her position was not comfortable for it.

Pinako was silent for a moment. "And do you…plan on telling Edward this, too?"

She sat up and wiped her eyes. "I don't know," she repeated, this time in a different tone. She sniffled as her grandmother took the young girl in her arms, holding her tightly. "I didn't mean for it to happen!" she exclaimed.

"Honey, I don't even think some married folks mean for it to happen," Pinako replied. "But this is one of the risks, especially if you don't use protection. And sometimes that doesn't even work."

Winry blushed, realizing that on that night the thought of protection had never occurred to her. She didn't plan on sleeping with Ed. They had just been goofing around like they always did. Having fun.

Then he had kissed her. Stolen as smoothly as he had done long ago behind the tree when he had been showing her that bird's nest. Only now he knew exactly what he wanted and, by God, he was going to get it!

Ed had always had a crush on Winry for as long as she could remember. But he was never shy in displaying his affections. He had led her to that tree not with nervous agitation of whether or not his plan will succeed, but with the crafty confidence that everything will go his way. Whether she ran from him or not, he had kissed her and, at nine, that was good enough for him. Even if the action resulted in him trying desperately for two days to get her to speak to him.

This puppy love really was quite backwards. Until four months ago, Winry never really would have thought of kissing Edward Elric again, much less allowing him to have his way with her. All this time, Ed was the one who was smitten while Winry never really felt anything for him.

She didn't even know if she felt anything like that for him when he was making love to her for who knows how many times? Not to say he wasn't any good. Oh, he was good. He was damn good! For a boy who never had any experience, he knew instinctively how to set her body on fire and make her crave for more.

But it did not mean she loved him. And while she was not sure of the difference between loving someone and desiring someone, she knew that she was not in love with Edward. Which is another reason she knew Ed would hate her: how would he feel, knowing he impregnated the one girl who could never love him as he did her?

The moment was shattered when urgent knocking sounded upon the door. Rolling her eyes at the interruption, Pinako left Winry to answer while the girl stood up and tried to look as decent as possible. She was about to head for her bedroom when she heard Pinako yell, "Winry, it's Felix!"

Her entire body froze before she reached the first step. A young man about eighteen nearly ran in, approaching her with alarm in his eyes. It could be said that he was one of the most handsome boys in Resembool; almost six feet tall with short, dark brown hair and deep gray-blue eyes, only slightly less muscular than Ed.

"I heard about what happened," Felix panted, staring intently at her. For a panicked moment, Winry thought he was referring to her pregnancy. Then she realized he was talking about her heat stroke, which no doubt the entire village heard of by now. Pinako had not told a soul about Winry's unborn baby and Doctor Hein never discussed his patients.

"I was so worried about you," Felix continued, pulling Winry into his arms and holding her close. She looked over his shoulder at Pinako's piercing eyes, knowledge of everything sinking into that ancient, ever-observing gaze. "Are you alright, love?"

"I'm fine," she replied quietly, having to force the words out of the lump in her throat. She wiggled her way out of his arms; he was so close to her that should the child kick again, he would feel it. And then she would have some serious explaining to do in spite of the fact she was in some serious crap anyway.

"Honey, where are you going?" he inquired, hurt that she was pulling away. "I haven't seen you in a week."

"I'm sorry, Felix. I'm just really tired right now." She stared up at him, feeling her heart retch. This was the man she believed to be in love with. So concerned and selfless and giving, and while he was not as passive or as gentle as Al, he lacked the fierce intensity Ed possessed. This was what she needed. Someone who was understanding and thoughtful but at the same time aggressive enough to know what he wanted; not someone who allowed his emotions to get the best of him and generally make more of a jackass of himself. Not to be mean to little Ed, but everyone knew it was true. Winry knew she would never care for anyone as deeply as she cared for Edward, but she also knew that wasn't the same as love.

Felix merely nodded, smiling with his usual perceptiveness. Ed would have demanded an explanation on why she was tired.

"Um…Winry?" Looking into Felix's blushing face, Winry knew that this could not be a comfortable question. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing everywhere but at her. "I've been wondering…have you…I don't mean anything mean by it…but have you been…gaining weight?" Quickly he held his hands up in defense. "I don't mean you look fat or anything!" he cried nervously. "You just look…fuller to me is all."

She didn't say anything at first. Simply stared at him. If Ed said something like that, she would have laughed, even thrown in an "I thought you liked your women with curves" comment or something along those lines. Ed just made her feel so comfortable like that. But when it came from Felix, she felt like she was being criticized.

"Well, you haven't seen me in a week," she pointed out, hoping that if she related it to memory division, he might think that was the real problem.

"Sweetie, I've been noticing it for a while now," he replied, in a gentle firmness that indicated memory division had nothing to do with it. "I just haven't said anything."

Ed would have said something right away. And he would have been blunt about it, too. "Are you getting fat, Winry?" he would inquire flat-out. "You might wanna stop eating so much."

She felt herself smiling at the image. Sweet little Ed. One could always count on him to be so honest.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine," she told him softly. With Ed, she would have responded with a loud "What the hell do you mean I'm getting fat?". Why was it she could never bring herself to yell at Felix? Why was it she never pulled the wrench on him, and beat him to a pulp with it? Well, of course, it was because she loved Felix, right? You don't beat the people you love with wrenches.

"Honey, are you pregnant?"

The words stabbed through Winry's being and she went instantly stiff. Pinako gasped under her breath that Felix had been so quick to figure it out. The silence was more than enough to confirm Felix's conclusion. "You are…" he said quietly, his eyes wide with surprise. Then they lit up as a smile broke over his face and he jumped on the stairs to cage her tightly in his arms.

"That's so wonderful! A little soon for us, I know, but it'll be okay! I'm almost done with my apprenticeship at my father's clockwork shop, so by the time the baby is born I'll be able to have a start for us. Of course, we'll have to get married as soon as possible, but I'll wait until everything is settled…"

As Felix excitedly went on and on with the pathetic attempt in trying to tape her world back together, Winry felt herself drift away, almost as if she were watching this scenario being played out like some bad radio drama. Hadn't she always dreamed this for the past two years she claimed Felix as her boyfriend? To marry him and bear his children, continue with her mechanics while her kids played outside and then he came home from his shop, tired but happy to be welcomed by his darling wife and adoring offspring? Wasn't that what she dreamed of?

"Hey, Winry!" An image of Edward at the age of seven suddenly appeared before her mind's eye, grasping her hands in his own as he giggled, grinning his trademark boyish, toothy grin. _"When we grow up, let's get married, okay!"_

An image of Edward at the age of seven suddenly appeared before her mind's eye, grasping her hands in his own as he giggled, grinning his trademark boyish, toothy grin. 

"Okay!" she had agreed with her bright smile. Back then, concepts of love to a pair of children simply meant if two people liked each other enough they got married, end of story.

But Ed had left. And Felix Mortimer came into the picture when he moved into Resembool with his father at the age of fourteen in hopes of starting a new life with their clockwork shop. Older than Ed by three years, many girls of the village took an instant liking to Mr. Mortimer's young apprentice including Winry. And she had been the one to capture his eye…and his heart. For a year and a half, Felix pursued her, but during that time Winry was still slowly getting over the Elric brothers' absence and, while she liked the young Mortimer enough, she distanced herself from his advances in hopes of...of what? That Ed would magically reappear and things would go on between them as if they had never been separate?

Then months turned into years, and until four months ago, it seemed as if Ed and Al were never coming back. So she accepted Felix's affections. If there had ever been a point where she did return Ed feelings, it was gone.

And then, after being with Felix for a little over 18 months, Ed came back. Returned to her like a phantom from a grave.

What kind of person was she, not only not telling Ed about Felix, but letting him do as pleased with her without so much as a protest…when only two days previous Felix had taken her virginity under the very tree where Ed had stolen her first kiss?


	3. In Which a Confrontation Occurs

**Notes from Shardy: **Yeah, so I really have up to chapter fourteen typed and posting it upon the forum as I go, and I wanted to see how many people would like it here. But I'm taking my time on updating. Maybe once a week or so. I don't want to post it all yet.

**Disclaimer: **Go back and read.

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Chapter Three

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The carriage ride was not going fast enough for Edward Elric, who squirmed on the seat as if a hoard of fleas made home in his trousers. He struggled against the urge to leap out of the carriage and run the rest of the way, though, in real-time, the horses would probably cover more ground than he could in the least amount of time. "How much longer until we get to the Rockbell residence?" Ed yelled, poking his head out the window towards the driver.

"Two minutes less since the last time you asked me," the driver replied peevishly.

"Brother, you need to calm down," Al spoke up gently.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" the older Elric snapped as he slumped back in his seat. "Winry is carrying my child, do you honestly believe I can be calm about this?"

"Ah…so Edward, knocked up the Rockbell babe, eh?"

"SHUT UP AND DRIVE, FOSTER!"

"You shouldn't worry about it, Ed," Al continued in his attempt to soothe his brother's boiling rage. "I, for one, am excited about being an uncle."

This sweet and deliciously naïve little comment made Ed snigger in spite of himself. If only he could share the excitement. If only he could be thrilled from his little toes in his boots to the strand of hair that defied gravity on his head; thrilled that Winry was carrying his baby--wasn't that something he had always dreamed of since he understood the concept of birth?

However, he felt an ominous black cloud circling his heart. He had a bad feeling, a very bad feeling, and it just didn't concern the reactions of the old bat when he graced the Rockbell property with his presence once again. The worst part about these gut feelings of his was that they were fairly accurate. And the darkening sunset behind them was not contributing any to lighten the atmosphere.

By the time the carriage pulled up to the automail shop that belonged to the Rockbell family, Edward's increasing uneasiness escalated to a sense of displacement. He did not pause from the point he jumped out of the carriage to the point where he burst through the door, demanding at the top of his lungs, "Where are you, Winry?"

"I know you're anxious to see her, Edward, but could you please refrain from breaking my house?" Pinako snapped while she straightened some cushions on the couch. "She's upstairs in her room, resting."

Ed needed more direction, ignoring Pinako's pointed glare as he bounded up the steps two at a time to Winry's bedroom. Heart racing against his ribcage, he knocked lightly on the door. "Winry? It's me, Ed," he announced. "Are you awake?"

There was no answer, and he went inside anyway. The previous proclamation of his presence was intended so that she wouldn't have a heart attack should he burst in unannounced. He found Winry in a mid-situp on her bed, slightly heavier in features than he remembered, sapphire irises sharply contrasting with the redness of tear-glazed eyes. Despite his vertically-challenged stature, he was by her side in four strides, plopping down on the bed without invitation and snuggling her against him.

She had no choice but to lay her head against that warm chest and allow his strong arms to hold her. All fear of him hating her vanished as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift. How was it all her problems vanished every time Ed so much as looked at her, smiling that goofy smile of his in a gesture that everything will be okay?

For a long moment they sat there. It was then Edward realized just how much he had missed Winry, feeling like he had been gone for years when it had only been four months. Inhaling the sweet scent of peaches in her golden hair, holding her soft body, he felt his insides twist up in knots once more. If not for the promise he had made to Al long ago, he would never leave again.

"Winry…" he whispered, the closest he could ever come to telling her all he felt. When it came to his personal feelings toward another, he was more a man of action than of words.

And action he much preferred.

Tracing his left fingers along her face, he lifted her chin to capture his lips with his own, tender but expectant, passion igniting within him at the memories of these sensations.

Yet she made no response to him, causing the feeling to die quickly as he pulled away to stare at her, topaz eyes confused and hurt at this unspoken rejection. "Winry," he said again, a puzzled query as he tried again to reach for her to which she reacted by moving back away from him. "What's up?"

"We can't do this, Ed," she whispered, staring at her fingers entwining themselves nervously in the wrinkles of the bedspread. Her voice was barely audible, but her tone spoke volumes of what she meant.

His eyes narrowed. "Why not?" he demanded, scooting even closer to her. The closer he came, the farther back she went.

"Because…" Her breath caught in mid-sentence when the sound of her back hitting the head-board revealed that she could not move any further. He leaned over her, one hand planted by each of her sides, making it known that there was no escape for her. "…we can't…"

His lips brushed her cheek, butterfly brush placed temptingly near one corner of her mouth. "Who says we can't?" he breathed against her skin, so close that as his eyes closed to reunite their lips, she could feel his eyelashes against her skin.

Though Ed tried to be gentle, considering he was now dealing with a pregnant woman and all, his testosterone had other ideas and shooting off enough hormones to make him squirm slightly with impatience. He wanted to stop all this talking and start with some hot carnal necking, clothes ripping, maybe a little--

Another knock on the door caused the couple to stiffen and barely have enough time to move out of their compromising position as another figure stepped into the room. "Hey, Winry," Felix greeted, trying to keep his focus on her but kept glancing at the other male occupying the room, much less Winry's bed. "Pinako told me you were up here. I just assumed you were alone."

"And who the hell are you?" Ed demanded rudely, irritated that this chump had to come and ruin his moment with Winry. Those ominous clouds he had felt in his heart earlier had now become a full-fledged thunder storm.

This time Felix did turn his attention on Ed, not looking in the least bit phased as if his gray-blue eyes had already sized the tiny alchemist up and concluded he wasn't much competition. "Felix Mortimer," he replied coolly with a short bow. "And you…?"

"Edward Elric," the shorter one answered with a confident hiss.

Felix was not impressed. "Ah, the famous Full-Metal Alchemist," he remarked in a sardonic tone. "I have heard much about you, especially from Winry. They say you were the youngest to pass the State Alchemist Exam and are a vital member of the military."

"You'd better believe it, pal," Ed snarled.

"Also heard that you left Winry without so much as a good-bye and didn't contact her for years."

Ed's face flared and Winry jumped off the bed before this conversation could become uglier and someone lost his head due to another certain someone losing his temper. "Come on, Felix," she chirped with a wide smile, taking his hand in hers. "Let's go get dinner. Granny's probably waiting for us. You coming, Ed?"

Edward could only trust himself to nod as he watched Winry, HIS Winry, leave the room with that Felee or whatever the hell the bastard's name was. Who was this guy and what the hell was his deal, anyway? Whatever it was, for Ed, it wasn't the problem.

Ed had suddenly thought up many different ways to bump this guy off his girl and the problem was he couldn't decide which one to go through.

* * *

Dinner could have been better.

Certainly there was nothing wrong with the meal but the gathering could have been a lot better if this towering specimen of the male population wasn't in the room. And to add insult to injury, _he_ was the one sitting close to Winry as Pinako had forced Ed to sit at the other end of the table. The table itself could have grown icicles from the frigid atmosphere. Nearly chomping on his fork with each bite, Ed never took his eyes off of Felix while said stranger ignored Ed completely as he delicately ate his own food.

"So," Felix spoke up casually, "what brings you guys to Resembool?"

Ed opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Al jumped in. "Oh, the Colonel just gave us some vacation leave for all the hard work we've been doing," he explained cheerfully. "We decided to come visit Winry and Auntie Pinako."

This time Felix did fix his eyes on Edward and was met with an intense golden glare. "I see."

Pinako had picked up on the various opportunities for Winry to reveal to Ed of her intimate relationship with Felix. But Winry said nothing, merely picked at the food about her plate. The old woman sighed inwardly; though she understood why Winry would be scared of hurting Edward's feelings, if that girl didn't make everything clear as soon as possible, more than Ed's delicate heart would be broken. If anything, it'll make the silly boy, who practically engaged himself to Winry since they were in diapers, become that more determined to cut Felix out of the picture completely.

However, it wasn't the old woman's place to cue Winry on the subject. If Winry was to have any effect on the boys, she would have to do it herself, in her own way, at her own pace. No matter how slow and aggravating that pace may be.

"Felix, can I talk to you for a second?" Winry spoke up quietly, hesitantly. Ed almost chocked on his own spit. What was this? Winry…being polite? Whenever she wanted to speak to him, she would just come out and say it. Or, if it was private, drag him off by the collar whether he wanted to go or not.

"Sure, babe," he replied, casting a pointed glare at Edward. Ed was tempted to give the ass a good view of his middle finger in response, but the way Al was observing him, he thought better of it and kept his hands to himself. There were children still in the room, after all.

Once outside in the cool wind of the evening, Winry turned her full attention to her boyfriend. "You don't have to be so rude to him," she jumped in, the first time she had ever really spoken to Felix like this ever since she had dated him. Something about Ed always made her throw caution and tact to the winds. Then again, if it didn't she wouldn't be in this situation, would she?

Quite surprised by her tone, Felix stared at her. "How was I being rude?" he demanded curtly.

"Just the way you're behaving!" Winry snapped, gathering a little more courage with the words. "You're acting like a typical, jealous boyfriend!"

"Jealous? Of that munchkin?"

Winry snapped. "He's not a munchkin!" she yelled. "Don't you ever call him that! Or anything else related to the word short!"

Felix sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Whatever you say, sweetie. Can we please go back inside now?"

But she was too infuriated to stop now. "Not until you promise me you'll be nice to Edward! He's been my best friend since we were little--"

"Yes, I know…"

"--and he's closer to me than anyone in this world!"

A long, dead pause followed.

"Closer than me?" Felix finally broke the silence with this quiet declaration. Winry blushed, looking away, the restless child in her body a constant reminder on just how close Ed had gotten to her. With Felix, she had only done it once and she had felt so dirty, like a cheap whore. And it was obvious Felix had experience in bed play which made her feel even worse. In a strange way, she had always believed that Ed would be her first and allowing Felix to take her made her feel like she had betrayed him somehow.

Why did she let Felix do it? On a more important note, why had she let Ed? With Felix, had it been merely obligation? Sure, she desired him in some way, he was extremely handsome and her boyfriend after all, but the intensity of this desire was nothing compared to when she had been with Ed. With the simplest touch, she had been swept away by Edward, making love to him countless times over seven consecutive nights, and nothing felt more right to her than being with him in every sense of the meaning.

With Felix, it had been fast and simple.

With Ed, they had done things that would make Auntie Pinako blush.

But--

For Ed, desire was all it was. No matter how right it felt. No matter how he knew all the right places to touch or ways to send her spiraling out of control and begging for more, it was not the same as being in love with him. And Felix…

She was snared out of her thoughts when his hands placed themselves on her shoulders and he kissed her forehead. The caress made her shiver and confused her even more. "Felix…"

"Just remember that I will never leave you," he whispered against her hair. The comment could be taken both ways, but Winry was too tired and confused to really think about it right now. She saw neon lights dancing in her vision, threatening to overwhelm her. It was due to stress, she knew, and she had to get inside soon otherwise the results would not be good for either herself or the baby.

"Felix, you have to understand," she began softly, her breath starting to shorten. "Edward is like my brother. He's not trying to be mean to you, he's just a little over-protective of me is all. Yes, he left without a word. But I know about things that have happened to him that no one else knows. Please, just try to be a little more understanding of him before you judge him. Please?"

Last thing she needed was for Ed and Felix to be fighting over her. Last thing she needed was to feel like she had to choose between the two of them.

"I will," Felix promised after a moment. "But, Winry, only for so long as he knows his place. You are mine and I will not stand by and allow that li--him to come between the two of us."

"He won't come between us!"

He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked to the side, as if he had difficulty believing her statement. That Ed guy…it was obvious there was more than simple sibling-like friendship he felt for Winry. Those piercing eyes glowed with possessiveness, as if he believed he had already staked his claim on Winry.

Well, little Edward Elric was about to learn that precious treasures left behind were not so easily recovered.

"What are they talking about out there?" Ed demanded, glaring out the window as if he could hear the entire conversation by doing so.

"None of your concern, now eat," Pinako shot back, smacking his head with her spoon making him yelp in more surprise than pain.


	4. In Which the Truth is Out

**Notes from Shardy: **Don't ask what the heck I was thinking when I wrote this chapter. So before I get a bunch of people saying that Ed would never physically hurt Winry, think of this situation and Ed's over-reactions to less. In other words, you don't know that.

**Chiyo and Stars**: Don't you DARE give anything away. And yes, I am being slow in uploading this fic here. I learned I get more reviews that way. XD Plus, it gives newcomers time to play catch-up.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Not to be cruel or anything but when Felix went home, Ed was not sad to see him leave. He really had nothing against the guy other than he wished the bastard would be so kind as to keep his distance from Winry, thank you very much! For some reason, Aunt Pinako had pushed Ed into the kitchen when the couple came back in, demanded that he try the chocolate pudding she had made for dessert, and by the time he reentered the dining room, Felix was gone.

He suddenly had the sinking suspicion he had just been distracted from something.

"Hey, Winry," he began when he managed to catch her alone. She was in her little shop in the back of the house, working on an automail leg that apparently would belong to a horse.

"Hmmm…?" was her only reply amidst her deep concentration.

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Can it wait?"

"No, actually, it can't."

Her hand holding the screwdriver stilled as her shoulders shrugged in a sigh. She should've figured. Ed never waited for anything even if the salvation of his soul depended on it. Taking off the pink handkerchief on her head, she used it to wipe the sweat off her brow. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet, and already she felt exhausted. "Well, go ahead and say it," she snapped impatiently. She had work to do; this horse leg needed to be finished by the morning.

Taken aback by her curt countenance, it was a skip of a second before he could speak. "I wanna know what's up with you and that Felix guy."

She should've known he would be quick to bring that up. Ed never sat still for anything, not even when they were children. Out of the three of them, he had been the one to wear out the word "Why?" to near extinction.

"What about him?" she countered with a query of her own, for some reason desperate to stall as long as possible.

"He acts like he's your boyfriend or something."

So much for stalling.

Taking a deep breath, Winry replied in a voice that was barely audible to her own ears, "That's because…he is…"

Edward heard that loud and clear.

"…what…?"

The word came slowly, barely an exhale of breath. She could tell that he was restraining himself, that had he spoke in normal volume, he would have exploded.

"How long have you two been…"--he almost choked on the word--"dating?"

"T-two years…"

"…"

Tears gathering in her eyes, she whirled around, yelling, "But you left me! You left! What else was I supposed to do! I didn't know that you would be coming back!"

Not that she expected him to sympathize with her, but when his eyes blazed with anger and he was quickly approaching her, she suddenly felt scared. And considering she had never felt scared around Edward before, the realization all the more frightened her. In a split second, he was right in front of her, one hand grasping each of her shoulders non-too-gently.

"You mean to tell me that while I was screwing your brains out, you already had someone on the back burner?" His words were fierce, an acid hiss, for they knew that should he speak an octave higher, he would lose it.

She nodded, trying not to wince from his grip. The colors were getting brighter and the room was becoming slightly blurry.

"And I suppose you've screwed him, too, and now we have no idea who the child's father is?"

His statement was meant to be sarcastic.

She closed her eyes tightly, swallowed hard…and nodded again.

He gawked at her, unable to believe he just saw that. It couldn't be true…and yet it was…She wouldn't lie to him. Deceive him maybe, she certainly did four months ago when he blindly chased after her like some cur in heat…

"Oh, my God, you're not kidding…" he breathed. He was suddenly consumed with a sickening feeling, as if his heart had literally burst in his chest. Once again, he saw all his hopes and dreams shatter right before his eyes. He laughed. A bitter, sardonic laugh.

And he. Lost. It.

Winry gave a small, painful cry when he squeezed her shoulders so tightly she could hear the bones groan in protest. It wasn't so much his left hand that was hurting her, but rather the one made from the very automail she had sculpted. And his grip only increased.

The room began to spin.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Winry?" he yelled. "If you had a boyfriend, why did you let me…shit! You are many things, Winry, but a SLUT is not one of them! I don't understand why you slept with this Felix guy, hell, I don't want to understand, but why me? Is it because you're a dirty whore? Is that it? I don't believe that, Winry!"

She could no longer see him, didn't have the strength to look up at him. "I…I'm not a whore…" she gasped, biting her lower lip to keep from sobbing out loud.

"Damn right, you're not a whore! _So why the hell did you do it?"_

A sob did manage to escape. "It was a mistake," she whimpered.

"Which was the mistake?"

She had no answer.

He brought his face almost nose-to-nose with hers, his breathing heavy with crimson rage, but her vision had gone completely blank. She could hardly hear him as he snarled, "I know I should be completely disgusted by the sight of you, but for some reason I'm not." With each word, his grip grew unbearably tight, especially the right one. "However, I will be damned if you think I'm gonna be your little fuck-buddy on the side!"

POP!

Her right shoulder under his automail popped with a sickening crack, sound of dislocating bone echoing in the small workshop. At the same time, her entire world went black as she slipped unconscious in his arms.

His first thought was _OH, MY GOD, I KILLED HER!_

But forcing the panic to the back of his mind as he laid her on the floor to examine her properly, he saw to his intimate relief that she was still breathing. Then his memory recollected just the previous few seconds.

Rage. Such as he had never felt before. And then she had fainted right in his arms. This had caused his anger to snap into prodigious terror at the sight of her falling with no way to stop herself. He had heard the shoulder crack. The one his right hand had been gripping.

"Winry? WINRY!" he screamed, shaking her, trying to get her to wake up.

She didn't stir.

Well, as long as she was knocked out, he turned her over onto her stomach then leaned over her. "I'm sorry, Winry," he whispered for both what he had done and what he was about to do. Then, chewing on his bottom lip nervously, he placed his human hand on her shoulder, then holding onto her arm for support, another moist crack sounded as he shoved the bone back in place. Her body jerked in reflex, but other than that, she made no movement to return to consciousness.

"Winry, please wake up!" he begged. Sure, he was probably overreacting, but the memory of his mother manifested in his mind…his mother lying on the floor, not moving, the falling fruit about her indicating that she had been okay merely moments before…

"Dammit, Winry, wake up!"

"What in the world is going on back here?" Pinako demanded, bursting into the room with Al at her heels. "We heard yell--"

The words on the tip of her tongue simply curled away and died upon seeing the scene before her: Winry collapsed face-down in Ed's arms as he stared up at her with panic and terror in his eyes.

"Aunt Pinako, I'm sorry!" Ed cried in a rush. "We got in an argument…I…then…she passed out…and now she won't wake up!"

"First, Edward, calm down before you have an ulcer," Pinako snapped. "From all the yelling I heard, it's little wonder she did faint. Pregnant women tend to do that under extreme stress. Trust me, I should know. Al, go carry Winry to her room."

Silently, Al took Winry's tiny form into his metal hold and departed, leaving Pinako and Ed alone.

"I can't believe…if only I'd known…" Ed sat down completely and hugged his knees to his chest.

"Known what?" Pinako inquired.

"That she would faint. She's so delicate now. I should have been more gentle--" He shivered with a violent chill. He had never hurt Winry before, never thought of raising a hand to her, no matter what she did, no matter how many times she'd hit him with that damn wrench…

"You're only human, Edward," Pinako replied, for it didn't take a state alchemist to figure out that Winry had spilled the beans about Felix and Ed went through the roof. "Sure, your temper is shorter than most other folks' but you've been delivered a serious hurt here even more so than her. Now whether or not that justifies whatever is you've done…well, I wasn't here so you'll have to decide that for yourself. And if you believe you weren't justified, then it's up to you to make it up to her in your own way."

Ed sat there for a moment to let the old woman's words sink in. Then he stood to his feet and ran out of the room after Al.

Pinako simply stood there taking a slow drag of her pipe, reminiscing of the good ol' days when love meant nothing more than last names and dowry offers.


	5. In Which Feelings Enflame

**Notes from Shardy: **Normally I don't post two chapters on the same day, but noticing the sorry short state chapter four was in I decided to give you all a break. And sorta redeem myself at the same time for Ed's past actions.

**Disclaimer:** Why do we have to put these stupid things? Fanfiction is pretty self-explanatory that nobody owns the series displayed here. If you own the story, you're supposed to post it on FictionPress or something.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Warm summer sunlight filtered through the curtains, spilling illuminating heat upon her face. Winry stirred awake and the first thought that poked through her mind was wonder at how she had gotten into her room. For some reason, her left shoulder ached, not painfully but still uncomfortable.

What happened? Had she fainted again?

By this times the memories of the previous night were slowly coming back to her and she shivered, whimpering slightly. Her worst fear had come true; Ed hated her. Now that he knew everything…

A warm weight rested around her waist, her groggy brain suddenly realized. Now that her head was clear enough to think, the majority of heat she felt did not come from the sun but rather from something lying next to her.

Or, more accurately, some_one_…

A small snore erupted and Winry raised herself on her elbows to further give her the ability to turn and see just who she was sharing her bed with. Ed lay fast asleep beside her, his left arm wrapped securely around her waist. She smiled to herself as she watched him dream, remembering when she, Ed, and Al used to sleep together in one of the grown-ups' bed during overnight visits. How they would stay up, talking about magical fantasies of faraway lands, giggling when they got in trouble for being too loud. Though Al would snuggle with her too because he was sweet like that, it was Ed who held her like she belonged to him and only him (he always was a possessive little booger).

Careful so as not to wake him, Winry began to scoot towards the edge of the bed. Unfortunately, Ed's arm had other plans and tightened its hold around her.

"Ed…!"

"Don't move," Ed breathed without opening his eyes. "Just lay here…with me…for a few minutes…"

She obliged, leaning her head in the crook of his neck as he shifted his body to a more comfortable position. Nose pressed against her hair, she could feel his breath trickling down her ear with each exhale, causing the hairs to stand straight on end. After a moment, she squirmed again in another attempt to get away.

"Edward," she began in a warning tone.

"Don't leave."

"Ed, I hafta go to the bathroom!"

"So?"

"Do you _want_ me to pee on this mattress?"

She could tell that his eyes were open and he was glaring at her. "You wouldn't do that."

"Wanna bet? It is MY bed, after all."

She could tell he was weighing the possibilities: Keep holding onto Winry and risk getting urinated upon, or letting her go do her dirty business.

"Fine," he pouted, removing his arm. "You've got two minutes."

Soon as his arm was gone, she jumped off the bed and whirled around to stick her tongue out at him. "Psych!" she exclaimed gleefully.

"WHAT?" he cried, jerking to a straight sit-up, eyes wide at being so easily duped. "You tricked me!"

"Not my fault you're so gullible," she giggled, then shrieked when Ed pounced at her. She tried to get out the door but he was too fast, and next thing she knew she was pressed flat against the wall with both of his arms planted beside her head. His eyes were glittering devilishly at her. "I…I guess you win," Winry remarked with a small, slightly nervous laugh.

"Oh, no, sweetheart, the game has only just begun," he replied, his grin screaming pure evil.

Her eyes darted as he continued to leer at her, prolonging this for as long as possible. "Well, we're sorta in a precarious position, aren't we…?" she declared, smiling wavering.

"Really? I kinda like this position."

His left hand moved from the wall to trail down her thigh, pulling their hips against each other. "And if I recall correctly, you really liked this position, too."

"Ed!" she gasped, face flaring three shades of crimson. "I have a boyfriend!"

"Me? Yeah, I know."

"NO! Felix…!"

Ed snorted, rolling his topaz eyes. "Please. It's not like you're married."

"I'm still devoted to him!" she hissed, unable to believe this guy's unconcern for the sacredness of a relationship, even if it was only dating. Then again, she hadn't really been concerned either, had she?

"Are you, Winry?" he replied, serious expression replacing his earlier smirk. She gave a tiny squeak when Ed ever-so-lightly rubbed himself into her, and, in spite of the seeming impossibility, her blush increased. She struggled to keep from losing her train of thought.

"O-o-kay," she managed to choke out, "I admit…I do want you, Ed. I-I want you so bad! But…but it's not the same…desiring someone…and loving someone is not the same thing!"

He tilted his head to one side, blinking at her. "It's not?"

Feeling braver, as long as she kept her focus away from his suggestive grinding, she barged on, "You know it's not! For two people in love…there has to be more! There has to be more than just desire and sex!"

"Is that so?"

All of a sudden the world was tilting dramatically as Ed picked her up and slumped her over his shoulder with ease. "Edward, what in the world--?" Winry cried but he said nothing as he plopped her down on the bed. For a second or two, he looked down upon her, his smug leer returning, liking how she looked like that lying there with her golden hair sprawled about the mattress, face the softest hue of red…

"I KNOW YOUR TICKLE SPOT!" he yelled, pouncing on her and proceeding to abuse her sides. She screamed, flailing about in poor attempt to get away, laughing hysterically until tears started rushing down her face.

"Hee hee….dammit, Ed!" she gasped out in between desperate breaths of laughter. "Eeek! Don't…yip!…do that!"

"I know your tickle spot, I know your tickle spot…!" he continued to jeer in a sing-song tone, showing no mercy as his fingers crawled around her undersides. Eventually, in her light-hearted despondency, she tackled him back, turning the tables.

"No!" Ed screamed, his own laughter ringing in the small bedroom. "Not the neck! Anything but the neck!" Out of all his body parts, Winry had always known that the area between his jaw line and his shoulder blade was the most sensitive…to tickling especially…among other things.

She was reminded of that one time she had given him a hickey on his neck, the way he clung to her, breathing tiny moans of pleasure in her ear…she shivered in the morbid satisfaction of having him completely at her mercy, both then and now.

They rolled about the bed, tangling themselves in the blankets, giggling childish sniggers as if they were both five again as they each tried to dominate the other. Eventually, they lay still, exhausted, still snickering softly. And Ed was on top of her.

"Pinned ya! I pinned ya!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "I WIN!"

She giggled again, instinctively tracing her fingers along his shirt front without realizing it, feeling the hard muscles underneath the black fabric. "And what prize does the winner demand?" she inquired with a smile. She felt strange. Strange, sexy, naughty all rolled into one sensation. Whenever Ed looked at her, no matter when or where or under what condition, she felt like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Ed had always made her feel that way.

For the moment, Ed dodged the question as something more important needed to be addressed. "Earlier you said that in order for us to be in love there has to be more between us," he reminded her softly. "Winry…how much more could there possibly be?"

"Ed--" she began but he silenced her by placing his left index finger upon her lips.

"Shh…don't. I don't want you to answer right away," he countered. "I want you to think about it. Think about it for a long time. You were always telling me how I tend to overanalyze things. Maybe you should start following your own advice."

He smiled down at her, removing his hand, and she felt her heart begin to pound more rapidly than it ever had before.

"But let's discuss this later," he continued cheerfully. "As for my 'prize', I want you to spend the entire day with just me."

She blinked. "What?"

"Yeah! It's really pretty out; let's go to the lake. Have a picnic lunch! You know, like we used to!"

"But what about Al?"

"He'll be fine. Besides, he would rather stay here with the cats, anyway. So grab your swimsuit, unless you wanna skinny dip!"

She frowned, not amused by his grin, in spite of how cute it made him look. "Oh, trust me, I'll be wearing one," she promised.

* * *

Like a couple of preschoolers, they chased each other along the trail to the lake in their swimsuits; Winry carrying blankets while Ed carried the large picnic basket Pinako had been so kind to prepare for them. Ed allowed her to keep ahead of him, watching her hair fly behind her, blazing like spun gold in the sunlight. She turned her head to blow him a raspberry, and something plummeted straight to his gut, causing his face to grow warm. He really liked this view, especially when her running at that angle gave him a view of certain…female parts bouncing…hee hee…

"Yeah, you keep running, Winry!" he yelled. "I'm gonna catch ya sooner or later!"

She yelped and increased her pace.

As if just for this particular occasion, the day was far warmer than usual even in the summer. Sweltering, even. By the time the two of them arrived at the lake, they were jubilant to see the sparkling blue water of the lake greeting them. "Ahhh," Winry sighed as she set the blankets down under the shade of a tall pine tree. "I don't know what I want to do first; eat or go swimming."

"I know what I wanna do," Ed threw in helpfully.

"Something platonic, for once?"

He just smiled widely.

"Didn't think so."

"Wanna settle it with another tickle match?"

"You never give up, do you?"

In the end, they decided to snack a little first, take a swim, and then eat. After all, they had the entire rest of the afternoon to goof around. Sipping apple juice, Ed watched as Winry ate some strawberries, allowing his gaze to take in her curves. And that skimpy two-piece bikini she was wearing was driving him insane!

Winry sniggered silently to herself. She was fully aware of Ed feasting on her with his eyes. That was the entire reason why she wore it. Certainly she had other swimsuits in her closet, and far more conservative. Instead, she had chosen the one sewn with the least amount of material, strings tied in all the right places that could come loose with the simplest tug. Ed's first reaction was priceless when she emerged from her room wearing something that probably only took two minutes to piece together. Needless to say, his nose practically burst in a fountain of blood.

What else could she do to torture him?

"Well, I'm going in the water now," she announced, putting the rest of the strawberries back in the basket. "You coming?"

"Nah, I'll just sit here for a minute and finish eating," he replied, beginning to munch on a ham and cheese sub.

She winked at him. "Your loss."

Damn, how was it possible for her to get any sexier?

He was going to make her regret having even considered wearing that bikini in front of him.

Meanwhile, in the water, Winry was starting to forget Ed was watching her from the bank. The heat was starting to become unbearable from the afternoon sun and the icy-cold water of the lake was so inviting…

She found herself lost as she began to swim, body a little shocked at the sharp contrast of cold water to the hot atmosphere, but once she got used to it she became next to a fish as a human could ever get. For a while she floated on her back, staring up at the bright, cloudless sky above her. Then, feeling a little lightheaded and kooky, she dove into the water only to break the surface again, shaking droplets out of her hair.

The way her body arched and her hair flew when she came back up, diamond-like liquid splashing around her was too much for poor Edward. Wasting no time taking off his black tank, he headed for the lake at a full run, diving underwater once it was deep enough and made a beeline for her.

Jerking out of her daydreaming upon hearing the nearby splash, Winry shrieked when something brushed suggestively against her leg. "ED!" she screamed, splashing out of the way as he jumped up in front of her.

"What?"

The afternoon wore on into the early evening, Ed and Winry played various games as though time had never passed between them over the years. She was glad his automail was waterproof, otherwise they would have some serious problems. While she concerned herself with his mechanical limbs, her eyes were occupied elsewhere. Here, all alone with him, laughing like they were children again, Winry looked at Ed as if seeing him for the first time. Drops of water glistened off his muscular chest and rolled down those rippling abs, the hem of his swim trunks hugging his hips a little lower than most guys would have modestly preferred. Braid unraveled, his playful expression was framed by long, wet blonde hair slightly passed his shoulders, that one strand of hair still stubbornly sticking upward.

Blushing vividly, Winry glanced away, feeling confused. This was not the first time she had noticed how handsome and desirable her best friend had grown. It was just that…the light seemed different somehow. She couldn't figure it out but it wasn't the same.

Then it happened. So quickly that she had no chance to react or defend herself.

Waist above water, she discovered Ed had somehow gotten behind her. She felt the brush of his fingers along her back, the light quick tug of bikini strings…

…and the sharp draft that slapped across her exposed chest.

"EEEDDWAAAAAARDDDD!" she screamed, covering herself with her arms and diving underwater. Squatting there chin-deep in the lake, she glared murderously at Ed already on the shore, dangling her bikini top between his thumb and forefinger.

"My, my, what have we here?" he sniggered slyly, his wickedly smug expression enough to make the Big Bad Wolf die of shame.

"Ed, give that back!" Winry yelled spastically. Lake water was very, very cold.

"I will on one condition," he replied. She should've seen this coming.

"What is it?" she shot back dryly.

"Dump that Felix guy!"

"What? I can't!"

"Sure you can. It's easy. Just say 'Felix, I don't love you, anymore. I love Edward Elric'!"

The annoying, squeaky pitch he used to imitate her voice did not please her at all. Winry sighed. "Ed, it's not gonna happen. Now will you please give me back my top?"

"Not until you say you'll marry me!"

Completely guffawed, Winry gaped at him. "Are you freaking serious?" She didn't understand why she was so surprised. Knowing Ed, of course he was after more than a free peep show.

"No less serious now than the time I asked you when we were four."

"Ed…" Strange. She was struggling with her negative reply; after all, it could never work. The word "no" and all its equivalent associates could not seem to form in her vocal cords. "Ed…" was all she managed to repeat.

Seeing the inner conflict etched in her face, Ed quickly changed the subject. "Okay, fine," he declared with a nonchalant shrug. "If you want your precious top so bad, you'll have to come get it!"

"Ed! You know that's impossible!" she cried.

"Why?" he inquired in a seemingly innocent tone. "We're the only ones here. And it's not like I've never seen _them _before." His wolfish grin made its reappearance upon the word "them".

"I don't care!"

"Oh, c'mon, remember when we used to take baths together?"

"Ed, we were three."

He sighed deeply. "You're no fun, Winry," he whined. Shrugging again, he placed her bikini top on the ground in front of his feet.

Winry felt her face drain of its color as a sickening feeling retched in her gut. He…he _wouldn't_…!

"Let's see," Ed muttered, staring down at her top contemplatively. "What can we transmute this into?"

He WOULD!

"Ed." Winry began very, very, VERY slowly before she gave him the peep show he wanted if it meant beating him to death. "Give. Me. Back. My. Top. Now."

"Hang on a minute, Winry! I'm being creative!" he shouted back as if HE were the one annoyed.

"Creative?"

Rolling his eyes, he stated, "Honey, I can't decide when my creative drive pops in. It comes and goes at random." He began waving her dismissively. "Now hush. You're running the artistic moment.

"_Stay in the water, Winry, she told herself firmly when she felt her body start to rise. Stay calm, and for God's sake stay in the water!_ "My top was not made for you to practice your alchemic artistry!" she shouted.

she told herself firmly when she felt her body start to rise. "My top was not made for you to practice your alchemic artistry!" she shouted. 

"Then what's it made for?"

That did it. Let him enjoy her exposure in these last few moments of his life. Hands clutched at her sides, she bolted upright and stormed after him.

"HOT DAMN! Baby, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Ed cat-called, then "eep"ed when he saw her glower that promised a thousand deaths. Snatching the bikini top, he held it high above his head as she tried to grab it. He turned in circles while she jumped at him, evading the top just out of her reach, laughing at her frustration…until her hands grabbed his neck, squeezing viciously.

"Give it to me or I'll strangle you," she snarled, her voice almost demonic.

His infamous grin returned. "Okay, I'll give it to you."

Instantly, his arms hugged her waist, holding her tightly as he kissed her so soundly that when their lips parted she was completely breathless. "You know I'm just doing this to irritate you," he chuckled, stroking her hair. "Sure you're beautiful…all over…but my favorite feature will always be your eyes."

Her face burned almost as bright as the sunset behind them. His lips lowered to her neck, and her hands once determined to choke him now clutched at his shoulders. Ed moaned softly in the appreciation of feeling her breasts brush against him. "One more time," he begged huskily, kisses growing hungrier. "Please. Let me be with you at least one more time."

"But…but you said…"

"Forget everything I've said. All that matters is being with you…_within _you."

He looked deeply at her, some unspoken emotion blazing in his eyes. A wave of guilt passed over her making her feel colder than the lake water had. More than desire burned in those amber orbs. He really was in love with her, wasn't he? Hopelessly…desperately…possessively…

"Edward, I'm not in lo--"

She was silenced when his lips returned to hers. "Don't say anything," he whispered. "Just…don't…Tonight, nothing matters but this moment…"

Unable to resist him, Winry gave in, kissing Ed back with passion to match his own. He picked her up with ease and carried her back to the picnic blanket, her bikini top abandoned and forgotten. Gently, he laid her down on the blanket, settling completely on top of her while her legs encircled his hips. His left hand cupped one of her breasts while the other tugged at the bottom half of her swimsuit. Considering the fabric was thin and probably hadn't used up half a yard of material, it ripped off with no difficulty. In fact, it just plain ripped.

She didn't care, glad to free of it in fact, as her fingers dug into his hair and Ed's mouth moved lower to nibble on her collar bone, left hand still toying with her breast. His other had now moved to the string of his shorts. He had all night to make love to her properly, to pleasure her beyond anything she had ever felt before. However, right now, he needed to be inside her. He had been completely abstinent for the past four months, she had been driving him insane all day, and if he didn't get some satisfaction soon…

KA-BOOOOOM!

A tree nearby suddenly burst into flames, causing both Ed and Winry to jump. They stared at the burning timber, shocked and confused, Winry clutching to Ed from her fright. Then they heard voices.

"Dammit, Sir, don't start a forest fire!" a familiar-sounding female voice snapped.

"Hmmm…the exceedingly high temperature must have amplified the spark when I alchemized it," an even more familiar male voice mused out loud.

_Oh, no, it couldn't be! _Ed thought with horror, and quickly grabbed the picnic blanket beneath them. He barely had it wrapped around Winry's completely nude body when a figure stepped out of the forest, not noticing the couple at first for he was too busy staring at his handiwork.

"Well, at least we have a bonfire now," Colonel Roy Mustang remarked rather dumbly.

"Why is it men have this phobia of admitting when they've SCREWED UP?" Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye shouted, barely able to contain her emotions. They had been running around Amestris for the past two days trying to find Resembool because a certain someone sent the wrong alchemist home, got lost because that same certain someone didn't bother to ask for directions and got on the wrong train, and now this.

With a sigh, Ed quickly approached the flaming tree, clapped his hands together to alchemize it to a steel pole. The embers fell to the ground without nothing to cling to and luckily were too small to spread to the rest of the brush.

"Edward!" Mustang exclaimed jubilantly. "Finally a familiar face in this godforsaken forest!"

Ed was not as pleased to see him. There was a flash of light and metal and next thing the colonel knew, the sharp end of the Hand-Lance was tickling his Adam's apple. "We are alone and in the woods and there are plenty of places to hide your carcass," the Fullmetal snarled viciously. Winry pulled the blanket closer around her.

"As much as I would almost love for you to do it," Riza intervened, "I can't allow you to. Better put your lance down, Fullmetal, or I'll have to write you up."

Pouting, Edward changed his arm back to normal and took a few steps back, glaring daggers at the other alchemist in front of him. Mustang blinked at Ed for a moment, crooking one brow. "Why are you…in just your shorts…?" he asked.

"There's a lake by here," Ed spat, pointing in the general direction behind him. "My girlfriend and I went swimming."

"Girlfriend?" Mustang echoed, glancing at a surprised Riza. Winry fought the urge to jump up and throttle Ed. Why, that little--how DARE he say such a bold-faced lie? Ed grinned sheepishly in Winry's direction and the other two pairs of eyes followed his gaze.

"That her?" Mustang inquired and approached her before Ed could reply, Riza following.

Winry stood to her feet, the huge picnic blanket covering her completely. As long as Mustang wasn't the type of guy who liked to kiss palms of those he was meeting of the opposite gender. Taking even one of her arms out of their safe position in keeping the blanket secure would make the situation even more awkward than it already was.

"Hello, miss, I'm Colonel Roy Mustang," he introduced himself with a polite bow. "And this is my aide, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."

"Pleased to meet you," Riza added with her own bow. "You must be miss Winry Rockbell."

"Y-yes," Winry began slowly. "How'd you know?"

The two officers smiled, glancing back at an infuriated Ed. "We heard a lot about you from Edward," Mustang explained, and then his dark eyes took a sly glint. "He was right; you ARE very cute. I can definitely see why little Edward is so smitten with you."

Ed's Hand-Lance returned and his eyes burned with rage. Sure, he might not kill the Colonel, but Mustang wasn't leaving these woods in one piece, either…


	6. In Which the Family Extends

**Notes from Shardy: **Apparently there's gonna be a lot of confusion here. Please note that throughout the story it is important that you READ CAREFULLY. I don't really like having to explain myself to others.

However, I feel there are several questions that I must address to further emphasize my point. If I sound a little nasty, my deepest apologies. I'm a little tired right now.

**1) Mustang and Riza are surprised that Ed has a girlfriend even though Aunt Pinako wrote a note to Mustang explaining the situation.**

Yes. They are honestly surprised. Why? Because Aunt Pinako did not say that Ed and Winry are boyfriend and girlfriend. She only said that Winry is pregnant with Ed's baby. Ed never mentions Winry as a girlfriend to anyone. Ever.Just because you knock someone up that doesn't make her your girlfriend. They are more surprised that Ed acknowledged Winry as his girlfriend.

**2) Mustang gets lost on his way to Resembool yet he has been there before.**

C'mon, people. It's Mustang. Even I get lost in places I thought were familiar to me. And the reason they got lost was because they got on the wrong train.

**3) Mustang sent the wrong alchemist home?**

Read and find out.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Unfortunately for Ed (and fortunately for Mustang though he never realized that his life was under serious threat), he never got the chance to gouge Mustang's eyes out for so much as peeking at his girl. Cute? CUTE! Winry was not CUTE. She was gorgeous, the epitome of perfection, the golden essence of a sex goddess…

Mustang had better keep his leering eyes off his woman if the man intended to live to be Fuehrer. Hawkeye protecting him or not.

The walk along the trail was most uncomfortable. Winry kept glancing nervously at Ed; after all, she was naked under the picnic blanket and should anything happen….Yikes! She didn't want to think about it! Ed walked beside her carrying the picnic basket, peering over his shoulder occasionally to glare warningly at the man behind him.

The two newcomers said nothing. For one thing, it was not Riza's nature to make chit-chat, and Mustang had a feeling if he opened his mouth, he was going to get a metal lance shoved through his gut.

Apparently, the man was much wiser than he appeared.

Winry didn't want to admit it, but she was actually glad Mustang's fire fiasco interrupted her and Ed. If she made love to Ed again, who knows what she would have felt afterwards. Ed had said none of that mattered.

What Ed could not seem to understand was that it did matter. All of it mattered. Every detail. No matter what he said, or did, she _was not _in love with him! If she allowed him to with her as he pleased when she did not return his feelings, then what meaning could it possibly have? What point, what purpose other than to gratify pent-up lust?

She hugged the blanket closer to her. She wanted Ed, but at the same time, doing this would only hurt him more in the end. She knew Ed wanted more than what she could give him; the sex was just an excuse. She had seen the look in his eyes before he last kissed her. The hunger, the need to be with her through all aspects of her life. That he was willing to give up everything to be with her. _You can't keep doing this, Ed,_ she wanted more than anything to say to him. _You can't keep hurting yourself like this. I am NOT the one for you._

And yet, like the selfish whore she believed she was, she could not bring herself to say a word. Just continue to let him live in this illusion that he could win her heart. She was a selfish whore, she knew this fully well. Why? WHY? Why didn't she have the guts to tell Ed the truth, to make him see what he was doing to himself?

"Winry?" He tilted his head downward a little to make his golden eyes peer into her sapphire irises. She blinked, startled, having not realized he was watching her. How ridiculous was that? Ed was always watching her, always looking out for her. He could read her thoughts with the simplest glance.

Which was actually kind of scary considering all she was thinking.

"You look depressed," he observed, keeping his voice low so that Mustang and Hawkeye could not overhear them. "Are you okay?"

"…I'm fine," she replied after a pause, forcing herself to smile.

"You're also lying," he countered.

Something about that made her snap. "What if I am?" she growled. "Maybe I just don't want to tell you."

His eyes widened, hurt. It tore her heart apart. And yet…

…maybe the reason why he so blindly pursued her was because she never truly rejected him. If truth be told, she never fought him off, never once made a true protest against him. Perhaps if she blatantly refused his advances, he would see how foolish he was behaving. She hated to hurt him like that, betray him, but how much more hurt and betrayed would he feel in the long run?

_I'm sorry, Ed, _she apologized mentally._ But the fun and games with her childhood playmate were over now. Over for good._

* * *

If Ed was not happy to have Mustang show up out of nowhere (he liked Hawkeye so he didn't mind her), he was infuriated to see who was waiting for them in Pinako's living room.

"Winry, where have you been?" Felix exclaimed, jumping off the couch to stand close to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I was worried."

"Relax, bud, she was with me," Ed replied dryly.

Of course that didn't make Felix feel in the least bit better.

Winry's heart thundered like mad against her chest. It was now or never. She had to go through with it…

…for Ed's sake.

She stood up on her tiptoes to press her lips against Felix's in a hungry kiss. Said boyfriend's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Mustang and Riza blinked at each other, confused: didn't Edward say earlier that Winry was _his_ girlfriend?

Ed stared. Just stared. Unable to take his eyes off the occupied couple. Thus far, he had not seen Winry and Felix display affection towards each other, at least in front of him, anyway. Maybe that was why their relationship seemed so unreal to him. But now…

He felt like he was going to be sick.

She slowly pulled from their kiss, as Felix released a shuddering sigh. "Damn…" he breathed. "That was some welcome kiss…"

"I couldn't stop thinking of you all day," she whispered. "I missed you."

Bile seeped to Ed's throat. Oh, God, he _was_ going to be sick! "Winry…" he could barely whisper. "Maybe you should go change now."

Glancing down at the picnic blanket around her, she giggled a little too happily. "Oh, yes, of course. Thank you, little Edward."

_Little Edward?_ He was too shell-shocked to react. Maybe it was a good thing he was, or he would march upstairs with her and show her just how "little" he was.

The two forgotten officers just glanced at each other again, perplexity increasing. Edward was just called "little" and he didn't go into a rampage?

What the hell was going on here?

Felix watched Winry depart with a look in his eye that made Ed really want to puke, this time for a different reason. What was happening? No more than an hour ago, Winry was melting in his own arms, moaning softly at his touch (…this would be BEFORE Mustang graced them with his presence)…

Dammit! What the hell did this Felix guy have that he didn't?

Other than height…?

At that moment, Pinako entered and, once she took in her visitors, immediately went off the deep end. "State alchemists?" she yelled, pointing at Mustang in particular. "What are these dogs doing here?"

"Uh…I'm a state alchemist, too," Ed pointed out half-heartedly.

"That's different; you're just foolish period," Pinako snapped. "But these people--"

"Just please hear us out, ma'am," Riza broke in, trying to sound professional but urgent at the same time. "We won't take up any more time than necessary."

"You've already taken up enough of my time," the old woman shot back.

Forcing himself to forget Winry for a moment, Ed decided to help out the other two. "It's okay, Pinako, I know them," he spoke up in their defense. Pinako turned to him with a raised brow. "Trust me," he continued. "They're not as bad as you think they are…" During this phrase, he shot a pointed glare in Mustang's distinct direction.

Taking a deep breath, Pinako glanced at the only silent individual in the room. "Felix, I think it's best you leave now," she declared. He simply nodded, announcing that he'll come by the next day to check up on Winry, and left the house, passing the military officers without a word.

"I'm going to go check on Winry," Ed spoke up softly, leaving Pinako to deal with whatever it was Mustang and Hawkeye wanted. Something was completely out of place here. Winry wouldn't just suddenly turn on him like that. No, she was up to something, she couldn't fool him not matter what little game she was trying to play.

Meanwhile, Winry sat slumped over on the floor, having just recently changed into her nightgown. She clutched at her stomach, gritting her teeth in pain and pressing her forehead against the cold wooden floor. The cramps were getting worse; she knew she had overdone it today. Other than a ten-pound heavier frame, she did not look four months pregnant, thus making her forget sometimes that she was carrying the baby.

A horrible thought struck her: what if the baby really WAS Ed's? Her eyes closed tighter to keep the tears in check. She couldn't think about that! The baby had to be Felix's, it had to be!

"Winry?" she heard Ed call from behind her closed door. "Can I come in?"

"Go away!" she yelled, trying to withhold the sound of pain from her voice. Slowly she crawled onto the bed, collapsing amongst the pillows.

The knob jiggled, stubbornly refusing to turn all the way as it was locked. "Winry, let me in!"

"I said go away!"

The knob jiggled again. Then the door gave away to a loud thud, slamming against the wall due to the impact of Ed's straight snap-kick that forced it open. She sat up quickly, ignoring the rush of dizziness that tried to sweep over her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.

"Wrong with me?" Ed retorted angrily. "I think you're the one with the problem, babe! What was that display downstairs?"

Winry looked away, glaring at the wall. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

Then she did look at him, her bright blue eyes ablaze with her own anger. "He's my boyfriend, in case you've forgotten, and I believe I have every right to kiss him."

"Not when you've been kissing me just the hour before!"

"You're the one who said it didn't matter!" she pointed out.

"I meant that it didn't matter to me!" he snapped.

"So you're saying that my feelings don't matter to you as long as you can screw me anytime you pleased?" she shot back.

Bingo. Her words stunned him momentarily speechless.

"No, that's not what I meant at all," he answered quietly.

"Then what did you mean?" Winry demanded, not giving him any room to regain his earlier composure. "Or are you too stubborn to admit that it does matter to you? That me being with Felix matters very much to you?"

"Winry--"

"You know, Ed, using sex as an excuse is pretty pathetic."

"What?"

"I know you want more than that, and I also know that you know that I can't give you anything more than that!"

He said nothing. And even though she felt like her heart was breaking piece by piece with every word she said, she could tell he felt ten times worse. She hated to do this, hated herself for doing it, but it had to be done.

"Get it through your thick skull, Edward," she forced herself to growl, forced her words to be as biting as possible, "I. Don't. Love. You."

Again, he said nothing. In all the years she had known, never once at he remained quiet for so long. _Say something, Ed! _she cried inside. _Don't just stand there. Say something! Quit make me feel lower than I already do. Dammit, SAY SOMETHING!_

Nothing. He just stared at her. Then, slowly, he turned around and left her room, closing the door softly behind him.

She exhaled, releasing the breath she had been holding during that entire exchange. Had she succeeded? Was Ed going to stop pursuing her now? She wanted to take comfort in that possibility, knowing that maybe now he could move on and find a girl who could give him everything he could ever want.

Then why did she feel worse than she had before this conversation had taken place?

* * *

When Ed returned downstairs, feeling surprisingly numb, he was greeted by Al. The hollow suit of armor stared up at him expectantly. "Um…Brother…?" the younger Elric spoke up somewhat nervously, fiddling with his hands behind his back.

"What is it?" Ed inquired tonelessly. He just wanted to be alone right now. Alone with is dark and dreary thoughts.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Certainly it couldn't be anything compared to what just happened upstairs. "What is it?" Ed demanded, voice still toneless. Sometimes he wished his brother would just say what was on his mind and be done with it instead of just beating around the bush all the time in order to avoid hurting people's feelings.

Well, at least there someone in this house concerned with the feelings of others.

At that moment, Aunt Pinako stormed passed them from the living room and entered the kitchen. Judging by the fact she didn't even noticed the Elric brothers standing by the stairs, the old woman must have been extremely peeved about something.

"What the hell's wrong with her?"

"That's just it, Ed," Al began, voice slightly shaking. "It's about Mustang and Miss Riza."

"What about them?"

"You see, they're in some sort of trouble…and…well…now they're going to be living with us for a while…" Al braced himself for the eruption of rage he knew was coming.

"Lovely…" Ed muttered, brushing past Al and into the living room.

Al stared after him. Well, that was easier than--

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"

Apparently, Edward Elric was the type of guy in which bad news took longer than some to sink in.


End file.
